The university recognizes that as a community many of its members use names other than their legal names to identify themselves. As long as the use of this different name is not for the purposes of misrepresentation, the university acknowledges that a “preferred first name” can and should be used wherever possible in the course of university business and education. In order to provide a safe, inclusive, and nondiscriminatory community, UWF faculty and staff should use a student's preferred first name whenever possible.

Therefore, it is the intent of the university that any student, active or retired faculty or staff member, or alumni may choose to identify themselves within the university’s information systems with a preferred first name in addition to the person's’ legal name. The university will use its best efforts to ensure the preferred first name is used whenever possible. The individual is free to determine the preferred first name he or she wants to be known by in the university’s information systems. However, inappropriate use of the preferred first name process (including but not limited to avoiding a legal obligation or misrepresentation) may be cause for denying the request.

The individual may prefer to be called a name that is different than the legal name. Also, it may be the desire to have this name replace a legal name in the MyUWF Directory profile and in other university records and documents. The university allows this by setting a preferred first name.  The preferred first name can be set via MyUWF access, and it will then appear in the individual's directory profile and other select records.  Some records, such as paychecks, that require use of a legal name, may not accept a preferred first name. However, whenever possible, a preferred first name will be used.

UWF reserves the right to remove or deny the Preferred First Name Request if used inappropriately. This includes, but is not limited to, names using inappropriate language or names submitted to avoid a legal obligation or to create misrepresentation.